#CoolArt: 'Yumi And the Nightmare Painter' TIMED Release print by Tran Nguyen

'Yumi And the Nightmare Painter' by Tran Nguyen. Used as cover art for the novel written by Brandon Sanderson.

9" x 12" fine art print on 11" x 14" 120 lb. heavyweight cardstock paper, embellished with iridescent foil finish, in a signed TIMED Release edition for $50.

On sale until Saturday October 7 2023 through Tran's website.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Sipping Salty Tea' by Howard Lyon

'Sipping Salty Tea' by Howard Lyon.

Interior illustration from the novel, 'Tress Of The Emerald Sea' written by Brandon Sanderson, published in January 2023.

#CoolArt: 'The Way Of Kings' TIMED Release print by Micah Epstein

'The Oathpact Ends' by Micah Epstein, originally painted for 'The Way Of Kings', 10th Anniversary Leatherbound Edition, written by Brandon Sanderson.

16" x 12" fine art print, in a signed and numbered TIMED Release edition for $49.

 On sale now until Saturday October 17 2020 through Micah's website.

Book Review: 'Warbreaker' by Brandon Sanderson

Cover art by Dan Dos Santos

'Warbreaker' by Brandon Sanderson, is another great read in his Cosmere fantasy universe, joining the 'Mistborn' and the 'Stormlight Archives' series as well as 'Elantris' and 'White Sand' titles.

'Warbreaker', set on the world of Nalthis, is the story of two princess sisters, Siri and Vivenna, from the kingdom of Idris. Siri, the younger of the pair, is free spirited, rebellious in nature and always seeming to cause trouble, whereas Vivenna, the Eldest child of the King of Idris, has been brought up knowing that come her twenty second birthday, she'll be sent to the kingdom of Hallandren to marry the God-King that rules over the nation and produce an heir, and so is more reserved and more devout in the Idrian religion of Austre. But when the threat of a war with Hallandren is close to breaking out, the king tries to get around the small print of the pact and decides to send Siri instead of Vivenna, his favourite, which was intended in the pact between the two kingdoms, hoping to forestall the pending war. Vivenna, now left with the feeling like her only purpose in life has been taken away from her, leaves Idris in the hope of rescuing her sister.

The story also follows the viewpoints of two other characters, Vasher, a mysterious character in the possession of a sentient sword called Nightblood, and Lightsong the Bold, the Returned god of bravery, part of the Royal Court of Gods of the Returned, resurrected humans who have no memory of who they were before they were returned from death.

Of course, no Brandon Sanderson story is complete without a unique magic system. 'Warbreaker' has Biochromatic Breath. Or known simply as Breath. This magic can be infused into inanimate objects, or the dead, to bring them to life through vocal commands, draining colour from nearby objects to fuel the magic. Breaths can also be transferred by speaking a phrase; "My life to yours. My breath become yours." and is highly sought after as breaths enhance a person's soul, making the world around them seem more vibrant as well as making them more resistant to disease and injuries.

Sanderson weaves a multilayered tale, blending magic, religion, politics, conspiracies and romance. The personalities of the two sisters couldn't be more different, and to see them go through the changes in their character development over the course of the novel, transforming them into the women they needed to become, was very masterfully crafted, and kept me very much engaged in their narrative.

Despite the backdrop of potential war and political skullduggery, there is also quite a bit of humour, mostly when Lightsong is the pov. His whimsical and aloofness adds a levity to the story - making him one of the most likeable characters in the novel, and is in total contrast to the dour and seriousness of Vasher. Although the sentient sword Nightblood, a sword that is tasked with destroying evil, but doesn't know what evil means - brings some added humour to Vasher's viewpoints chapters too. 

The world building is typically Sanderson, which always makes it a joy to pick up one of his fantasy novels. Very in depth, but not so much that it becomes too overwhelming. Especially when it comes to the magic system. It just works so well. The surrounding cast of characters are very well fleshed out too, giving the world a proper lived in feel.

'Warbreaker' is a slow burn that builds things up slowly, carefully setting up events that will happen later on, and is full of twists and turns to keep you guessing until you get to the Sanderson avalanche that carries you along to the finish.

A really enjoyable read and a worthy addition to the Cosmere universe.

As a side note, check out the annotations on each chapter, as they're an excellent peek behind the scenes on the writing of the novel.

Available from Waterstones, Audible Audiobooks and all good bookstores.

Book Review: 'Elantris' by Brandon Sanderson

I'm a big fan of Brandon Sanderson, through his 'Mistborn' trilogies, 'The Stormlight Archives' series, and his 'Cosmere' short stories, but I'd not read where it all began, his first published work 'Elantris'. I aimed to put that right before his latest opus, 'Oathbringer', arrived.

I'd heard really good things about his debut, and after finishing it, I can only concur, it's a unique and wonderful read.

Elantris; capital of Arelon, a city with a population of God like citizens, with magical abilities helping all those around them. Ten years ago a catastrophic event happened, the Reod, and the magic disappeared. Elantris is now cursed, an asylum to the fallen, a city of the dead.

Prince Raoden of Arelon, wakes up with the Shaod, a transformation that once signalled the transition in becoming one of the demi-gods of Elantris, but now only viewed as a curse. It couldn't have come at worse time, as his betrothed, Princess Sarene of Teod is travelling to Kae, the new capital of Arelon, for their state marriage, and a Fjordell priest, Hrathen, has arrived to convert Arelon for his emperor and God.

Its a slow burn of a book, as we're introduced to the three main characters, each with their own pov throughout the book. Raoden, the fallen prince, still full of positivity despite his circumstances. Sarene, the feisty and determined princess, looking to do right (I liked both of these characters). And Hrathen, the fanatical priest. It's a book more of political intrigue and religious conflicts than of action normally seen in fantasy stories. But that's not to say it's boring. Not at all. It all drives the story, and is much better for it as you become invested in the world of Arelon and the characters along the way until the intense climax!

Although written as a standalone book at the time, you can see the beginnings of his 'Cosmere' universe here. Sanderson is known for the intricate magic systems in his books, and 'Elantris' is no different. Here we have Aons, the art of writing symbols in the air that perform magical duties, like healing. We're introduced to them as Raoden discovers them, so we're not treated to an overload in exposition or expected to know everything straight away. They may be complicated, with all their different strokes and abilities, but they're also still understandable.

The setting and world building is pretty good, filled with strong determined characters, that we see variations of in his later books.

A strong and engaging debut read from an author that only gets better with each book! If you like fantasy but after something a bit more unique, then I'd definitely recommend 'Elantris'. And if you're a fan Sanderson's other works, I'd recommend picking this up, just to see where the seeds of his 'Cosmere' universe were planted first.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Arcanum Unbounded' by David Palumbo

Cover art by David Palumbo for the anthology 'Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection' by Brandon Sanderson, published by Tor Books.

#CoolArt: 'Mistborn: Secret History' Cover Art by Miranda Meeks

Cover art by Miranda Meeks for the novella 'Mistborn: Secret History' by Brandon Sanderson.